Why Planning Policy Matters When Assessing Land
Planning policy establishes where development should take place, which uses are acceptable and what environmental, design, infrastructure and community requirements a proposal must satisfy.
In England, planning decisions are plan-led. The statutory starting point is the development plan for the area, which normally includes the adopted Local Plan and any made neighbourhood development plan. Planning applications should be determined in accordance with that development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
The National Planning Policy Framework, usually referred to as the 'NPPF', is one of the most important material considerations. It sets out the Government's planning policies for England and explains how councils should prepare Local Plans, allocate land and determine planning applications.
This makes planning policy the first major test of development potential. A site may benefit from safe highway access, limited flood risk and few ecological constraints but still face difficulty if the proposed use conflicts with the council's spatial strategy or a strongly worded development plan policy.
Conversely, land that is not currently allocated may still have realistic development potential. Opportunities may arise where the Local Plan is being reviewed, the council needs additional development land, existing allocations are not being delivered or the authority cannot demonstrate an adequate supply of housing sites.
Planning policy is not a simple pass-or-fail checklist. Some policies support development, some restrict it and others explain the requirements that must be met before planning permission can be granted. The importance and weight of a policy can also change depending on its wording, age, evidence base and consistency with national policy.
A proper planning policy assessment therefore considers more than the designation shown on a policies map. It examines how the development plan operates as a whole, whether its most important policies remain up to date and whether current housing, employment, infrastructure or environmental evidence creates a different planning balance.
The key question is not simply whether land is allocated for development today. It is how the complete planning policy framework applies to the site, whether those policies remain up to date and whether changing needs or evidence create a realistic route to development.
What Is Planning Policy?
Planning policy is the framework used by national government, councils and neighbourhood planning bodies to guide how land should be used and developed.
Planning policy provides a degree of consistency and certainty within the planning system. Without policy, each planning application would have to be considered without an established strategy for where homes, employment, infrastructure and environmental protection should be located.
Policies are used to balance competing objectives. These may include delivering new homes, supporting economic growth, protecting the countryside, improving design, conserving heritage assets, reducing flood risk, increasing biodiversity and ensuring that infrastructure is provided alongside development.
Some policies establish the principle of development. For example, a site allocation may support housing on a defined area of land. Other policies control the detailed form of a proposal, such as density, access, drainage, landscaping, affordable housing or biodiversity net gain.
Policies may also restrict development in particular locations. Green Belt, countryside, settlement boundary, heritage and landscape policies can all limit the types of development that will normally be supported. However, even restrictive policies must be interpreted properly and considered alongside national policy and other material considerations.
For landowners, planning policy is important because it can influence both current and future development prospects. A policy may prevent an immediate planning application from succeeding but a Local Plan review, settlement boundary change, housing land supply shortfall or new infrastructure project may alter the position over time.
The Planning Policy Hierarchy
Planning applications and site allocations are rarely determined by one policy document. National policy, Government guidance, Local Plans and neighbourhood plans must be read together.
National Planning Policy Framework ('NPPF')
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government's planning policies for England and explains how they should be applied through plan-making and decision-taking.
Planning Practice Guidance ('PPG')
Planning Practice Guidance provides detailed advice on applying national policy to housing, plan-making, flood risk, viability, design, heritage and other planning matters.
Local Planning Policy
The Local Plan contains the council's spatial strategy, strategic policies, development management policies, site allocations and infrastructure requirements.
Neighbourhood Plans
Once formally made, a neighbourhood development plan becomes part of the statutory development plan and can contain local planning policies and site allocations.
National Planning Policy Framework
Local and Neighbourhood Plans
Planning Decisions or Site Allocations
Planning Practice Guidance, supplementary planning documents, technical evidence, representations, appeal decisions and other material considerations assist throughout the process. The final outcome is therefore based on a combined planning assessment rather than any single policy document.
National Policy From 17 August 2026
How the National Planning Policy Framework Is Used
The development plan remains the statutory starting point, while the national decision-making policies in the August 2026 NPPF are material considerations and apply from publication.
Planning Applications
Policy DM3 requires authorities to determine proposals in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise, working positively and considering whether conditions or obligations can make a proposal acceptable before refusal.
National Decision Policies
Policy S3 routes proposals to S4 within settlements and S5 outside settlements. The thematic national policies on housing, land use, transport, Green Belt, flood risk, nature, heritage and design are then applied to the proposal.
Development-Plan Weight
Annex A states that development-plan policies materially inconsistent with the national decision-making policies should receive very limited weight, except where they were examined and adopted or made against the August 2026 framework. Older policies are not reduced in weight simply because of age.
Policies S3 to S5
The Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development
The 2026 NPPF replaces the former paragraph 11(d) tilted-balance formulation with a location-based route.
Policy S3
S3 directs proposals within settlements to S4 and proposals outside settlements to S5. A proposal that accords with both an up-to-date development plan and the national decision-making policies should be approved without delay.
Policy S4
Development within a settlement should be approved unless its benefits are substantially outweighed by adverse effects assessed against the national decision-making policies. It is a strong starting point, not an automatic permission.
Policy S5
Outside settlements, only the listed forms receive the positive direction, including specified rural uses, building reuse, previously developed land, limited infill, station-related development, allocations and development addressing evidenced unmet need.
Where a site falls partly within and partly outside a settlement, S4 and S5 are applied to the relevant parts before the proposal is considered as a whole. Green Belt and Local Green Space have separate routes.
Key National Planning Policies That Affect Development Land
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) covers a wide range of planning policies. Which policies apply will depend on the location of the land, the type of development proposed and the characteristics of the site.
Housing Supply and Delivery
National policy requires councils to plan for sufficient housing and maintain an appropriate supply of deliverable sites. Housing needs, affordable housing and delivery performance can all influence the prospects of additional land.
Economic Development
The NPPF supports economic growth and requires planning policies to address the needs of businesses, employment sectors and changing commercial markets.
Sustainable Transport
Development should support walking, cycling and public transport where practical while ensuring safe access and addressing the effects on the highway network.
Design and Placemaking
High-quality design, local character, safety, accessibility and the creation of healthy and inclusive places are important considerations throughout the planning process.
Green Belt
National Green Belt policy restricts inappropriate development but also explains the exceptions and circumstances in which development may be considered.
Flood Risk and Climate Change
Planning policies seek to direct development away from areas at the greatest flood risk and ensure that proposals are resilient to climate change.
Natural Environment
Biodiversity, habitats, protected landscapes, ancient woodland, agricultural land and ecological networks may all influence site capacity and suitability.
Heritage
The significance and setting of listed buildings, conservation areas, scheduled monuments and archaeological assets must be considered when development is proposed.
Effective Use of Land
National policy supports the efficient use of land, including appropriate densities, redevelopment opportunities and the use of previously developed or underused sites.
Government Planning Practice Guidance
How Planning Practice Guidance is Used
Planning Practice Guidance supports the NPPF by explaining how national policies should be interpreted and applied in practical planning decisions and plan-making exercises.
The Government's online Planning Practice Guidance is commonly referred to as the 'PPG'. It contains detailed guidance across a wide range of planning topics and is regularly updated as policy, legislation and planning practice evolve.
The PPG does not replace the National Planning Policy Framework, adopted Local Plans or neighbourhood plans. Instead, it helps councils, applicants, landowners and planning inspectors understand how national policy should be interpreted.
Planning officers frequently refer to the PPG when assessing the evidence submitted with planning applications. Planning inspectors also consider it when determining appeals and examining whether Local Plans have been properly prepared.
For landowners, the PPG can be important because it explains the evidence and assessment methods that councils are expected to use. This can affect how land is considered through a HELAA, SHLAA, Call for Sites exercise, Local Plan review or planning application.
Plan-Making
Guidance explains how councils should prepare evidence, identify strategic issues, assess alternatives, engage communities and progress Local Plans through examination.
Housing Need
The PPG provides guidance on assessing local housing need, applying the standard method and using evidence when preparing strategic planning policies.
Housing Supply and Delivery
Guidance assists councils in calculating housing land supply, assessing deliverability and understanding the consequences of housing under-delivery.
Land Availability Assessments
The PPG explains how councils should identify potential sites and assess whether they are suitable, available and achievable for future development.
Viability
Viability guidance influences assumptions about land value, development costs, affordable housing, infrastructure requirements and planning obligations.
Flood Risk
Guidance explains how the sequential and exception tests should be applied and what evidence may be needed to demonstrate that development can be made safe.
Heritage
The PPG assists decision-makers in assessing significance, setting, harm, public benefits and the evidence required for proposals affecting heritage assets.
Neighbourhood Planning
Guidance covers the preparation, examination, referendum and implementation of neighbourhood development plans and neighbourhood development orders.
Planning Obligations
The PPG explains the use of Section 106 obligations, infrastructure contributions and the statutory tests that planning obligations must satisfy.
How Planning Practice Guidance Affects Planning Applications and Site Allocations
Planning Practice Guidance can influence the evidence required, the assessment method used and the conclusions reached by councils and planning inspectors.
Planning Applications
For planning applications, the PPG can clarify how national policy tests should be applied and what supporting information should accompany a proposal.
It can affect matters such as flood risk assessments, heritage statements, viability evidence, housing land supply calculations, planning obligations and the treatment of previously developed land.
Where there is uncertainty about the correct interpretation of a national policy, the relevant PPG section may provide important context.
Applicants should therefore review both the NPPF and the related PPG before deciding what evidence is needed to support a planning case.
Site Allocations
For Local Plan allocations, the PPG guides councils on the preparation of land availability assessments and the evaluation of potential development sites.
It helps establish whether land is suitable, available and achievable and whether there is a reasonable prospect that development could be delivered within the relevant timescale.
The guidance also affects sustainability appraisal, strategic environmental assessment, viability, infrastructure planning and the comparison of reasonable alternative sites.
A well-prepared site promotion should respond to the assessment framework the council is likely to use rather than merely asserting that the land is available.
Guidance Can Change Without Replacing the Entire NPPF
Planning Practice Guidance is maintained online and individual sections may be revised as legislation, national policy or planning practice changes. A current planning assessment should therefore check the latest relevant guidance rather than relying solely on an older printed or downloaded version.
Local Planning Policy
How Local Planning Policy Determines Whether Land Can be Developed
Every local planning authority prepares planning policies that reflect the particular characteristics, opportunities and constraints of its area. These policies are normally contained within an adopted Local Plan together with any accompanying Policies Map, Area Action Plan or other development plan documents.
The Local Plan identifies how much housing, employment land and commercial development the authority intends to deliver during the plan period. It also establishes where growth should occur, which settlements should expand and which areas should be protected.
Local planning policy is therefore one of the most important considerations when assessing whether land has realistic development potential. Two seemingly identical fields located only a few miles apart may have very different prospects simply because they fall within different planning authority areas operating different planning strategies.
Unlike national planning policy, Local Plans are tailored specifically to individual districts, boroughs, unitary authorities and metropolitan authorities. They therefore provide much more detailed guidance about the future direction of growth.
Local Plans Commonly Include
- Housing requirements and future housing strategy
- Employment land strategy
- Settlement hierarchy
- Settlement boundaries
- Site allocations
- Green Belt policies
- Countryside policies
- Infrastructure requirements
- Development management policies
Development Plan
How Local Plans Determine Planning Applications
Every planning application is assessed against the adopted Local Plan. Planning officers consider how the proposal performs against the development plan as a whole before balancing it against national planning policy and other material planning considerations.
When a planning application is submitted, planning officers identify the Local Plan policies that apply to the proposal. These may include policies relating to housing, employment, settlement boundaries, the countryside, Green Belt, design, transport, flood risk, ecology, heritage, infrastructure and residential amenity, depending on the nature and location of the site.
These policies are not applied individually. Instead, the proposal is assessed against the Local Plan as a whole to determine whether it accords with the council's overall planning strategy. A proposal may comply with some policies whilst conflicting with others, so the planning authority must consider the degree of compliance across the entire development plan.
The assessment does not end with the Local Plan. Planning officers must also consider the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Planning Practice Guidance (PPG), any relevant Neighbourhood Development Plan and all other material planning considerations before reaching an overall planning balance. It is this comprehensive assessment that ultimately determines whether planning permission should be granted or refused.
Strategic Policies
Housing, employment, settlement strategy and the overall direction of future growth.
Site Policies
Settlement boundaries, allocations, Green Belt, countryside and site-specific requirements.
Technical Policies
Design, transport, flood risk, ecology, heritage, infrastructure and residential amenity.
Planning Balance
The Local Plan is considered alongside the NPPF, PPG and all other material planning considerations before a decision is reached.
How Local Plans Determine Site Allocations
A Local Plan does not simply identify land that already has planning permission. It selects land that the council considers appropriate for future development.
Call for Sites
Landowners, developers and promoters submit potential development sites for assessment. This gives councils the opportunity to consider whether land could contribute towards future development needs.
HELAA / SHLAA
Councils normally assess each site against the recognised tests of suitability, availability and achievability together with planning, environmental and technical considerations.
Allocation
Sites considered capable of helping meet future development needs may ultimately become allocated within the Local Plan following consultation, examination and adoption.
Allocation does not grant planning permission. However, it usually establishes strong policy support for the principle of development and significantly improves certainty for both landowners and developers. Conversely, land that is not allocated should not automatically be dismissed. Local Plans are reviewed regularly, housing requirements change and additional sites may become necessary if existing allocations cannot be delivered. Many successful development sites have been promoted over several Local Plan reviews before ultimately being allocated.
Neighbourhood Development Plans
How Neighbourhood Development Plans Affect Development
Once adopted, a Neighbourhood Development Plan becomes part of the statutory development plan and must normally be considered alongside the Local Plan when determining planning applications and allocating land for future development.
Planning Applications
Neighbourhood Development Plans often contain policies relating to local character, design, settlement boundaries, community facilities, green spaces, housing sites and other planning matters that are important to the local community.
Planning officers are expected to consider these policies when determining planning applications, alongside the adopted Local Plan, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) and all other material planning considerations.
However, neighbourhood planning policies cannot override national planning policy or conflict with the strategic policies contained within the Local Plan. Instead, they complement the wider planning framework by providing more detailed local guidance.
Site Allocations
Some Neighbourhood Development Plans allocate land for housing, employment, community facilities or other forms of development, whilst others simply provide detailed planning policies without allocating specific sites.
Where a Neighbourhood Development Plan allocates development sites, those allocations become part of the statutory development plan once the plan has successfully completed examination and referendum. These allocations are then considered alongside the Local Plan when planning applications are determined.
Landowners should therefore review both the adopted Local Plan and any relevant Neighbourhood Development Plan when assessing the planning policy position and the future development potential of their land. Our Neighbourhood Plans and Development Land guide explains the allocation, policy and decision-making implications in more detail.
Although Neighbourhood Development Plans can have an important influence on planning decisions, they form only one part of the wider planning policy framework. Planning applications and site allocations are ultimately determined by considering the Neighbourhood Development Plan alongside the Local Plan, the National Planning Policy Framework ('NPPF'), Planning Practice Guidance ('PPG') and all other relevant material planning considerations.
The Planning Decision Process
How All Planning Policies Are Considered Together
Planning policy operates as a connected framework rather than as a series of independent documents. National policy, local policies, neighbourhood policies and material planning considerations are all brought together before a final planning balance is reached.
Step 1
National Planning Policy Framework
The NPPF establishes the national planning principles that guide both Local Plan preparation and decisions on planning applications.
Step 2
Planning Practice Guidance
The PPG explains how national planning policies should be interpreted and applied in practical planning assessments.
Step 3
Local Plan Policies
The adopted Local Plan provides the council's spatial strategy, development policies, site allocations and local planning requirements.
Step 4
Neighbourhood Plan Policies
Any made Neighbourhood Development Plan is considered alongside the Local Plan and can add locally specific policies or site allocations.
Step 5
Material Planning Considerations
Site-specific evidence, technical impacts, planning history, emerging policy and public benefits are then added to the assessment.
Final Step
Planning Balance and Final Decision
The decision-maker weighs policy compliance, development benefits and identified harm before deciding whether planning permission should be granted or refused.
No Policy Is Considered in Isolation
This layered approach is one of the defining characteristics of the English planning system. Planning officers rarely rely on a single policy when recommending approval or refusal. Instead, they assess how the proposal performs against the full development plan, national planning policy and all relevant evidence before weighing the benefits against any identified harm.
Why This Matters to Landowners
Understanding how these different policies interact can reveal opportunities that are not immediately obvious from reading a Local Plan or Policies Map in isolation.
Policy Weight
How Older or Inconsistent Development-Plan Policies Are Treated
The former question of whether the policies most important for an application are “out of date” is no longer the general national gateway to a tilted balance.
An adopted policy remains part of the development plan until replaced. Annex A requires very limited weight only where a policy, or part of it, is materially inconsistent with the August 2026 national decision-making policies, subject to the exception for policies examined and adopted or made against the new framework.
Age alone does not reduce weight. The analysis should identify the exact conflict between the local policy and the current national decision policy, whether the policy remains supported by current evidence and how it applies to the particular proposal.
For emerging development plans, policy DM4 retains the familiar considerations of stage, unresolved objections and compliance with national plan-making policy. Prematurity refusal remains limited to substantial proposals that would prejudice central choices in an advanced plan.
A policy case should not merely assert that a Local Plan is old. It should identify the relevant development-plan policy, the current national decision policy, the nature of any material inconsistency and the effect on the proposed development.
Housing Supply and Delivery
How Five-Year Supply and the Housing Delivery Test Affect Policy
A supply or delivery failure remains important, but its national consequence is now expressed through Annex D and policy S5(1)(j), not the former paragraph 11(d) test.
Evidence of Unmet Need
Where the authority cannot demonstrate a five-year supply, or the Housing Delivery Test is below 75%, evidenced unmet housing need exists for S5(1)(j). The proposal must still be outside a settlement, physically well-related to an existing settlement and appropriately scaled for infrastructure.
Location Still Determines the Route
Within settlements, S4 applies. Within the Green Belt, GB7 provides the relevant routes. Annex A can also prevent a higher current need figure from being treated as unmet need for five years after adoption where the required supply and delivery tests are met.
Historical Terminology
What Happened to the Tilted Balance?
“Tilted balance” described paragraph 11(d) of the December 2024 NPPF. It is not the general decision framework in the final August 2026 NPPF.
Older appeal decisions and planning statements may still use the term. For a current proposal, the case should be reframed through S3, S4 or S5, the applicable national thematic policies and the Annex A rules on development-plan weight.
Five-year supply and Housing Delivery Test failures remain relevant to evidenced unmet need under S5(1)(j), rather than automatically placing the policies most important for a housing application into the former paragraph 11(d) balance.
Beyond the Development Plan
Other Material Planning Considerations
Planning policy provides the framework but applications and potential site allocations must also be assessed against the site-specific benefits, impacts and technical evidence.
Access and Highways
Safe access, visibility, junction capacity, traffic generation, pedestrian connections, cycle routes and public transport can influence the principle and scale of development.
Flood Risk and Drainage
River flooding, surface water, drainage capacity, the sequential test and sustainable drainage requirements can affect whether and how a site should be developed.
Ecology and Biodiversity
Protected species, habitats, ecological networks, ancient woodland and biodiversity net gain requirements may constrain, reshape or improve a development proposal.
Landscape and Visual Effects
Topography, settlement form, landscape character, important views and existing boundary features influence whether development can be successfully integrated.
Heritage and Archaeology
Listed buildings, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, archaeological remains and their settings may affect development capacity and design.
Trees and Hedgerows
Protected trees, veteran trees, ancient hedgerows and established landscape features may need to be retained and incorporated into the development layout.
Infrastructure and Utilities
Water, electricity, sewerage, schools, healthcare, roads and digital infrastructure must have sufficient capacity or a credible improvement strategy.
Design and Residential Amenity
Density, layout, privacy, daylight, noise, air quality, character and the relationship with neighbouring properties can influence acceptability.
Viability and Deliverability
Infrastructure, abnormal costs, affordable housing, planning obligations, land ownership and market demand affect whether the development can realistically proceed.
Agricultural Land
The agricultural quality of land may be relevant, particularly where development would result in the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land.
Contamination and Ground Conditions
Contamination, landfill, mining, ground instability and remediation costs may affect suitability, design and development viability.
Planning History
Earlier applications, appeal decisions, land assessments and nearby permissions can provide important evidence but must be considered against the current policy position.
Material planning considerations must relate to the use and development of land. Matters such as private disputes, loss of a personal view, the identity of the applicant or the effect on an individual property's market value are not normally grounds for granting or refusing planning permission.
How Emerging Planning Policies Affect Land
Emerging planning policies can become increasingly important as a Local Plan progresses through consultation, examination and adoption, potentially influencing both planning applications and future site allocations before the plan is formally adopted.
Early Local Plan Stages
At the early evidence-gathering or options stage, emerging policies may carry limited weight because the council is still considering alternatives and significant objections may remain unresolved.
These stages can nevertheless be extremely important for landowners because they provide opportunities to submit land, influence the growth strategy and address technical concerns before preferred allocations are selected.
Later Local Plan Stages
Draft policies may receive increasing weight as the plan progresses through publication, submission and examination, particularly where they are consistent with national policy and objections have been resolved.
However, an emerging allocation is not equivalent to an adopted allocation and does not guarantee planning permission. Its weight must be judged according to the circumstances and stage reached.
Development Potential and Value
How Planning Policy Can Affect Land Value
Planning policy affects land value because it influences the likelihood, scale and timing of future development. Land supported by an allocation or planning permission normally carries less planning risk than land with no policy support.
Agricultural, paddock or amenity land may have a relatively modest existing-use value but acquire hope value where there is a realistic prospect of future allocation or planning permission.
An adopted allocation can substantially improve confidence in the principle of development. Planning permission may increase certainty further by confirming the permitted use, scale and development requirements.
However, planning policy is not the only factor affecting price. Infrastructure, affordable housing, abnormal costs, density, planning obligations, market demand and the time required to secure development also influence the value that may ultimately be achieved.
Planning Stages and Potential Value
Existing-Use Value
Value based principally on the land's current lawful use.
Hope Value
Additional value reflecting a realistic possibility of future development.
Allocated Land
Greater policy support, although planning and technical risks remain.
Land With Planning Permission
Greater certainty regarding the development use and planning requirements.
Our Planning Review
How We Assess the Planning Policy Position
Our assessment goes beyond simply reviewing the council's Policies Map. We examine the complete planning policy framework, supporting evidence and technical considerations to identify whether your land benefits from an immediate planning opportunity, a future Local Plan promotion opportunity or whether further evidence is required before development can realistically be pursued.
National Policy
We consider the relevant NPPF policies and supporting Planning Practice Guidance.
Development Plan
We identify the relevant Local Plan, site allocation, neighbourhood plan and development management policies.
Emerging Policy
We examine Local Plan reviews, Calls for Sites, land assessments and emerging growth strategies.
Site Considerations
We review access, flooding, ecology, landscape, heritage, infrastructure and deliverability alongside policy.
The purpose of the initial assessment is to identify whether there is an immediate planning opportunity, a longer-term Local Plan promotion opportunity or insufficient evidence to justify further work at the present time.
Initial Development Review
Land Assessment Tool
Use our Land Assessment Tool for an initial indication of your land's development potential. Planning policy is only one part of the assessment, and a low score does not necessarily mean that planning permission or a future Local Plan allocation cannot be achieved. We recommend that a detailed professional review is undertaken before decisions are made.
Land Assessment Tool
Start answering the questions to discover your land's development potential.
This tool provides an indicative assessment only. Planning policy, site-specific constraints and the council's current evidence base must be reviewed before a reliable conclusion can be reached.
What Happens Next?
Our experts can review the planning policy position and provide a more detailed assessment of your land.
Planning and Land Expertise
Why Landowners Choose Value My Land
At Value My Land, we help landowners understand how national planning policy, Local Plans, neighbourhood plans, site allocations and technical considerations affect the development potential of their land.
- Free, no-obligation assessment of your land
- Specialist planning and land promotion expertise
- Review of national, local and neighbourhood planning policy
- Identification of planning and Local Plan promotion opportunities
- Focused on maximising the value of your land
- Helping landowners make informed decisions
- No obligation to sell your land
Free Initial Land Review
If you would like a free, no-obligation assessment of your land, simply send us the location of your site. We will carry out a high-level review of the planning policy position, settlement relationship and other matters that may influence its development potential.
You do not need to provide detailed plans, planning statements or technical reports at this stage. Simply identify the land using one of the following:
- A postcode
- A Google Maps pin
- A what3words reference
- A plan identifying the site boundary
- A brief description of the site location
We can then review the relevant planning authority, adopted and emerging Local Plans, neighbourhood planning position, planning designations and initial technical considerations before explaining whether further investigation may be worthwhile.
Get Your Free ReviewLive Planning Opportunities
Search Our Live Planning Guides
Search our live planning pages to identify current opportunities for promoting land through the planning system. You can find open Call for Sites exercises, monitor the progress of emerging and reviewed Local Plans and identify current HELAA and SHLAA assessments being undertaken by local councils. These resources can help landowners understand when councils are seeking new development sites, where future growth may be planned and when land can be submitted for consideration for housing, employment or mixed-use development.
England Call for Sites Tracker
Search for open Call for Sites exercises and identify councils currently inviting land submissions.
Search Open OpportunitiesEngland Local Plan Tracker
Monitor emerging and reviewed Local Plans and understand where future growth may be directed.
Track Local PlansEngland HELAA & SHLAA Tracker
Identify current HELAA and SHLAA assessments being undertaken by local planning authorities.
View Land AssessmentsRelated Guides
Understanding planning policy requires consideration of the Local Plan, national policy, housing land supply, site allocation processes and the evidence used to assess development land. These related guides explain the planning concepts and promotion routes most relevant to determining whether land may obtain planning permission or be allocated for future development. For connected detail, see our Housing Need and Housing Targets in England, NPPF 2026 changes and Brownfield Land Registers guides. For more specific situations, see our Development Land Near Well-Connected Railway Stations, Safeguarded Land Development Guide and Reapply or Appeal After Planning Refusal.
For a wider library covering planning policy, technical evidence, valuation and land agreements, browse the Landowner Guides.
Local Plan Allocation Guide
Find out how land is promoted through a Local Plan review and what councils consider when selecting sites for future housing, employment or mixed-use development.
Click hereCall for Sites Guide
Learn how to submit land when a council invites potential development sites and what information should be included within a strong Call for Sites submission.
Click hereSettlement Boundaries Guide
Understand how settlement boundaries influence development proposals, countryside policies and opportunities to promote land through a future Local Plan review.
Click hereWhat Is a Five-Year Housing Land Supply?
Learn why housing land supply matters, how councils calculate deliverable housing sites and how a shortfall can affect the weight applied to planning policies.
Click herePresumption in Favour of Sustainable Development
Understand policies S3, S4 and S5, the Annex A weight rules and what replaced the former paragraph 11 tilted balance.
Click hereWhat Is a HELAA or SHLAA?
See how councils assess potential housing and employment land for suitability, availability and achievability before deciding which sites may progress.
Click hereSustainable, Available and Achievable Sites
Explore the main tests used when councils assess whether land can form part of a suitable, deliverable and effective development strategy.
Click hereWhy Location Matters When Assessing Land for Development
Understand how settlement relationships, access, services, surrounding uses and planning context can affect development potential.
Click hereIs My Land Suitable for Development?
Understand the policy, technical, sustainability and deliverability considerations used when councils and planning professionals assess development land.
Click hereFrequently Asked Questions About Planning Policy
What is planning policy?
Planning policy is the framework used to guide how land is developed and used. It includes national planning policy, Local Plans and neighbourhood development plans. Policies identify where development should take place, which uses may be acceptable and what planning, environmental, design and infrastructure requirements proposals must satisfy. Planning decisions should be made in accordance with the statutory development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
What is the National Planning Policy Framework?
The National Planning Policy Framework, commonly called the NPPF, sets out the Government's planning policies for England and explains how they should be applied. It influences the preparation of Local Plans, site allocations and decisions on planning applications. The NPPF covers matters including housing delivery, economic growth, transport, design, Green Belt, flooding, biodiversity, heritage and the effective use of land.
Is national planning policy more important than local planning policy?
The statutory development plan is the legal starting point for determining planning applications, but the NPPF is an important material consideration. Local policies that are up to date and consistent with national policy may carry substantial weight. Annex A states that a development-plan policy, or part of it, which is materially inconsistent with the August 2026 national decision-making policies should receive very limited weight, except where it was examined and adopted or made against the new framework. Other policies are not reduced in weight simply because they predate it.
How does a Local Plan affect my land?
A Local Plan establishes the council's strategy for future development. It may identify land for housing, employment or mixed-use development, define settlement boundaries and apply policies relating to Green Belt, countryside, design, transport, ecology and infrastructure. The Local Plan affects both current planning applications and the prospects of promoting land for a future allocation. Read our guide to Local Plan allocations and how they can influence development potential.
Can a neighbourhood development plan allocate or restrict development?
A neighbourhood development plan can contain local planning policies and allocate sites for development. Once made, it forms part of the statutory development plan. However, it must support the strategic development needs of the wider area and should not undermine strategic Local Plan policies. Its policies are considered alongside the Local Plan, the NPPF and other material planning considerations.
How are older or inconsistent planning policies treated?
Age alone does not reduce the weight of an adopted policy. Annex A states that a development-plan policy, or part of it, which is materially inconsistent with the August 2026 national decision-making policies should receive very limited weight, except where it was examined and adopted or made against the new framework. The assessment should identify the precise inconsistency rather than rely on the age of the plan.
How does a five-year housing land supply affect planning applications?
Failure to demonstrate the required supply is evidence of unmet housing need for policy S5(1)(j). That route applies to qualifying housing outside settlements which is physically well-related to an existing settlement and appropriately scaled for infrastructure. Policy S4 applies within settlements and GB7 provides the separate Green Belt routes.
What replaced the former tilted balance?
The tilted balance was the decision-making approach under paragraph 11(d) of the December 2024 NPPF. It is no longer the general current route. The final August 2026 framework instead uses S3, S4 and S5 together with the thematic national decision-making policies and the Annex A rules on development-plan weight. Read our NPPF 2026 presumption guide.
Does land need to be allocated before planning permission can be granted?
No. A Local Plan allocation can provide strong policy support for the principle and scale of development, particularly for larger strategic sites, but unallocated land may still obtain planning permission. The outcome will depend on the development plan, national planning policy, identified development needs, the sustainability of the location and the environmental and technical impacts of the proposal.
Can planning policy increase the value of my land?
Yes. A supportive site allocation, settlement boundary change or planning permission can reduce planning risk and materially increase land value. Emerging policy opportunities may also create hope value where there is a realistic prospect of future development. The final value will still depend on matters including infrastructure, affordable housing, abnormal costs, density, market demand and the time required to secure and deliver development.
Find Out How Planning Policy Affects Your Land
Send us the location of your land and we will undertake a free initial review of the national, local and neighbourhood planning policies that may influence its development potential.
You do not need detailed planning reports or technical evidence at this stage. A postcode, map pin, what3words reference or plan identifying the land is usually enough for us to begin. Download the Planning Policy & Development Land Guide (PDF)
Minerals planning policy
Does Minerals Safeguarding Affect the Site?
The minerals guide explains Mineral Safeguarding Areas, consultation zones, safeguarded infrastructure, resource assessment and when prior extraction may need to be considered before non-mineral development.